So here it is – Black History Month! Schoolchildren all over the country will spend a few days learning about Martin Luther King, Jr., learning who invented the cotton gin, and even learning how to sing an old negro spiritual (no, not an Al Green tune!). If you can’t feel the sarcasm dripping from my keyboard, take my word for it – it is.

Look, I get it. Recognizing the achievements and contributions of African Americans is a worthy exercise. Particularly given the ahistorical nature of contemporary American society.

This past weekend, over 30 UCLA Luskin team members participated in the United Way's HomeWalk 2011 -- a 5k run/walk to end homelessness in Los Angeles County. UCLA Luskin raised close to $5,000 (almost doubling our fundraising goal!). The Luskin team was part of 10,000 walkers, runners and volunteers -- the largest in HomeWalk history.

A post from Waiyi Tse, Executive Project Manager, UCLA Luskin:

The Aspen Institute defines structural racism as “the system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations and other norms often work in reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequities in every key opportunity area, from health, to education, to employment to income and wealth.”

A post from Waiyi Tse, Executive Project Manager, UCLA Luskin:

Greetings from Asheville, North Carolina. I’m at the “America Healing: Building the Field and Connecting the Leaders” conference representing UCLA Luskin. “America Healing” is the racial equity initiative of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, which is a generous supporter of the School’s Social Justice Initiative.

Post from Refugio Valle, MSW '11, who is attending the "Race in America" conference at the University of Pittsburgh: "The Road to Freedom: From Alabama to Obama" Julian Bond, Chairman Emeritus, NAACP; social activist; leader in American Civil Rights Movement; politician; professor; and writer

A post from Dean Frank Gilliam, who is currently traveling in China...

A post from Dean Frank Gilliam, who is currently traveling in China...

It took us about an hour by train to get from Beijing to Tianjin. After our arrival, we went directly to Tianjin University and the Urban Planning Exhibition Center (pictured below).  Shortly, I'll be meeting with the governor of the Tianjin Municipal Government, who runs the sixth largest provincial government in China.

Here are some more photos from my trip:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/43050553@N06/sets/72157623345535184/show/

 

 

A post from Dean Frank Gilliam, who is currently traveling in China...

I'm on my way to Tianjin University with National Urban League president Mark Morial. We're at the Beijing South Train Station, which is solar powered! By the way, for a fascinating read on China's urban planning challenges, check out Professor Randy Crane's blog: http://planning-research.com/top-5-challenges-to-integrating-land-use-an...